Chapter Fourteen
Brad
Brad glanced at the clock on the dash as he slipped inside his truck and released a heartfelt sigh. He loved his parents, he truly did, only they’d kept him much longer than he’d anticipated they would.
He dug a hand into his jacket, searched both pockets, then patted down his jeans, releasing a loud groan at not finding his cell phone. “Fuck!” All he wanted to do was call Lionel and see if it was alright to turn up at ten-thirty at night.
He eyed the house he’d just come out of, and even though he could remember Lionel’s cell number, he really didn’t want to go back inside with how long it had already taken to disengage from Dad.
We aren’t going home. Go to Lionel’s.
He could be asleep.
He needs us.
Huh? What’s that supposed to mean? Even as he asked, Brad started the engine and had the truck shuddering with how fast he exited the drive. An odd sense of urgency coming off his animal side.
Just go find our mate.
I’m going, Brad grumbled, his foot hitting the pedal a little harder to go faster.
The streets weren’t overly busy, and the traffic signals were all in his favor.
Less than fifteen minutes later, he pulled up outside Lionel’s house.
Every light appeared to be on, and Brad caught a figure moving in front of the downstairs windows.
The second he put the truck in park, grinning at his luck, he opened himself to Lionel. What assailed him knocked him right off balance, and a sense of unease. Loneliness, the kind that was deep-seated was what Brad distinguished first. Then sadness. Rejection.
Lionel’s thoughts were scattered like leaves whipped up by a stiff breeze, making it hard for Brad to fathom the reasons for how his mate felt.
The ache Brad had felt throughout the day became an unbearable weight pressing on his heart when he grasped some of what Lionel was feeling was because he thought Brad didn’t care.
Something about his pride was mixed in there too, along with cubs and someone called Cassandra.
None of it really made sense, despite that, Brad called to his mate through their link.
Lionel… Mate…
Brad!
I’m here, mate, just look out the window. Brad held his breath waiting to see Lionel at the window, only the front door burst open, and Lionel was rushing out.
Seeing hair wild about Lionel’s head and clothes disheveled, got Brad jumping out of his truck to run and meet Lionel.
“What is it?” Brad asked breathlessly, jumping into Lionel’s arms as they reached for him. He pressed in close the second Lionel wrapped his arms around Brad, shaking so hard it was as if Brad had gotten shoved into a blender and put on high speed to whiz everything up.
Brad clung on, and Lionel held him so tight it was hard to take a proper breath. He didn’t care. He buried his face into his mate's neck and held him. “I’m here,” he murmured. “Right here.”
I’m sorry for whatever I did to make you feel like this.
I had dinner with my parents, which is business, not pleasure, he explained working on following Lionel’s jumbled thoughts.
I tried to call you, and I hate leaving messages, and I was going to ring you again, then everything went to shit with one of my electrical subcontractors, and it threw a huge spanner in the works.
Then Dad rang to remind me about the monthly meeting, and I was late, so I didn’t have time to call you.
Then I realized, as I was about to ring you to see if you wanted me to come over despite the hour, I left my phone at home.
Was Lionel getting it all? Was he making sense? Brad wasn’t sure when Lionel’s tears soaked through his jacket and the shaking hadn’t lessened.
Brad was strong, just not strong enough to carry Lionel back inside his house. He considered how to move things inside the house when he heard a door open and voices close enough that Lionel could be seen in his distressed state.
Take me inside so we can get naked and cuddle.
He felt Lionel’s pulse pick up speed.
I want to touch you properly. Show you how much I missed you.
They needed skin-to-skin contact, Brad grew convinced of this when Lionel’s scattered thoughts became a little more focused on the idea of touch.
At reinforcing their bond. Strengthening it, especially with the feelings of embarrassment that came across at the show of weakness.
Brad’s parents had raised him to understand that showing emotions was not a bad thing. Size or species had nothing to do with emotional displays. No, they were about expressing what was going on inside rather than holding it close and allowing it to eat at someone. It wasn’t healthy to do that.
Lionel walked jerkily back into the house, and Brad ignored the fact that his truck door was open, and the keys were inside. His mate was more important than if someone decided to steal his truck.
Inside, Lionel said nothing as he clung to Brad like he was a lifeline, taking him directly to his bedroom. At the side of the bed, Lionel didn’t release him.
“You need to put me down so I can strip you.” The quietly murmured words didn’t seem to sink in at first. Brad was about to shift when his booted feet hit the carpet.
Brad slipped his arms free, only to reach up, cupping Lionel’s bristly cheeks when his gaze dipped, and an increased sense of embarrassment came through their connection.
Brad shook his head, holding Lionel’s gaze.
“Do not do that. You have nothing to be embarrassed about. Your feelings are justified, and never let anyone tell you differently, not even me.” Brad kissed Lionel’s soft lips, tasting the tears.
He pressed his nose against Lionel’s, and gently wiped away the lingering tears.
“We need to clear away any misunderstandings. I’d like to do that naked while cuddling, if that’s okay? ”
The nod was far more hesitant than Brad liked. He let go and took a step back and shucked off his clothes as quickly as possible. Naked, he stood in front of Lionel and resisted rushing when Lionel fidgeted, looking uncertain.
“I told my parents about you. They are excited to meet you, and Mom and Dad were peeved I hadn’t brought you to dinner with me.”
“Why… didn’t you?” The whispered words hurt Brad due to the sadness attached to them.
“First, I forgot about it.” He stroked a hand down the buttons of Lionel’s shirt, grinning and winking at him saucily. “Being claimed can do that to you.”
A shiver ran through Lionel, his scent thickened the air as Brad flicked open the buttons with nibble fingers, touching skin as he went.
“Dad’s reminder call came while I was mid-crisis, and as I wanted to tell them in person about you, I didn’t think to clarify with you if you wanted to come to what was essentially a boring work meeting.
Not when in my head I had ideas of a more mate-focused conversation about you—us with them.
I won’t do that again.” And Brad wouldn’t now that he knew it hurt his mate.
Lionel’s mom giving him independence was a double-edged sword as far as Brad could tell.
Being independent and self-reliant was one thing.
Lionel believed he should be strong all the time because he’d had no one to share in carrying the burden that could be life at times.
He’d been made to think that was weakness, and he was wrong, and Brad was going to show him that.
He got up on his tiptoes and pushed the shirt over Lionel’s shoulders with some difficulty because of the height difference. His protruding cock brushed against Lionel, smearing pre-cum on the fabric of his slacks.
Lionel gave him a helping hand, wriggling his shoulders, so the shirt slid down his arms. His thoughts scattered, this time for a whole different reason when Brad got down on his knees and went for the belt buckle.
Lionel’s arousal became more obvious as Brad let his fingers linger on the warm skin above the belt.
He came closer and kissed his quivering belly.
“I didn’t tell anyone we had mated for two reasons.
If I had mentioned it to my work colleagues, one of them would have told Dad before I could.
And I wasn’t sure if you wanted to tell your mom before anyone else told her.
I know how upset my parents would be to hear something secondhand. ”
Lionel groaned at the belt sliding free and Brad dropping it to the floor, leaving his mouth close to the warm scented skin.
Again, I should have clarified with you.
This mating business is tricky, but we’ll figure it out.
He nuzzled into the musky scent of his mate enjoying how Lionel’s breathing became labored and how he shuddered and leaned into Brad’s touch.
Pushing down the slacks and underwear, Lionel’s monster cock sprang free, nearly poking Brad in the eye when he was slow to pull back. It jabbed at his cheek and smeared it. They both groaned in unison.
Brad fisted the long length in both hands.
The hot, hard shaft pulsed as he brought it to his lips and sucked the glistening head into his mouth.
He felt how close to the edge Lionel was and licked around the head, tickling the slit before sucking hard enough his cheeks hollowed.
The unique flavor of his mate enticed him.
Made his heart rate a frantic beat inside his chest.
His spit ran out the sides of his mouth and over his hands as he tried to take more.
He held the root and, using his spit, pumped his other hand up the shaft.
With three sticky pumps and one long, hard suck, Brad had a mouthful of cum leaking out right along with his spit.
He swallowed repeatedly as the length barely softened with each hot spurt hitting his tastebuds.
Argh… Yeah… Wow… Don’t stop…
The litany filled his head making his cock jerk and leak, only Brad wasn’t interested in satisfying his needs. This was about reconnecting with Lionel. Proving how much Brad wanted him—in every way.
Lionel’s thighs tensed, but his knees buckled, forcing Brad to ease off and lean away or get his tonsils stabbed.
He giggled uncontrollably when Lionel staggered backward, his legs hit the bed, and he tumbled onto the mattress looking like a starfish.
His cock pointed skyward, his feet still on the floor as his arms lay flat on the bed above his head.
His chest heaved as he dragged in air like he’d been holding his breath for endless minutes.
Brad got up, his grin widening, and crawled on top of Lionel, pressing their cocks together as he laid his cheek against Lionel’s fast-beating heart. Content just to be close, his eyes drifted shut.
I could spend my eternity right here, never moving.
What about food?
Brad released a tired chuckle. I don’t need food ‘cause your cock is enough to feed a nation.
Brad fell asleep to the rumbles shaking Lionel’s body, it was a blissful sound.